*Georgia, Header
Note:
Georgia is currently besieged by conflicts driven by separatists in its
Abkazian and South Ossetian enclaves, and supporters of ousted President
GAMAKHURDIA control much of western Georgia
*Georgia, Geography
Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
Map references:
Africa, Asia, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
69,700 km2
land area:
69,700 km2
comparative area:
slightly larger than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
total 1,461 km, Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252
km
Coastline:
310 km
Maritime claims:
note:
12 nm in 1973 USSR-Turkish Protocol concerning the sea boundary between the
two states in the Black Sea; Georgia claims the coastline along the Black
Sea as its international waters, although it cannot control this area and
the Russian navy and commercial ships transit freely
International disputes:
none
Climate:
warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
Terrain:
largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser
Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhida Lowland opens to the Black Sea in
the west; Kura River Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood
plains, foothills of Kolkhida lowland
Natural resources: forest lands, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ores, copper, minor coal
and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and
citrus growth
Land use:
arable land:
NA%
permanent crops:
NA%
meadows and pastures:
NA%
forest and woodland:
NA%
other:
NA%
Irrigated land:
4,660 km2 (1990)
Environment:
air pollution, particularly in Rustavi; heavy pollution of Kura River, Black
Sea
*Georgia, People
Population:
5,634,296 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.85% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
16.48 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
8.68 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) note - this data may be low
because of movement of Ossetian, Russian, and Abkhaz refugees due to ongoing
conflicts
Infant mortality rate:
24.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
72.58 years
male:
68.89 years
female:
76.46 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.21 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Georgian(s)
adjective:
Georgian
Ethnic divisions:
Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian 3%, Abkhaz
1.8%, other 5%
Religions: Georgian Orthodox 65%, Russian Orthodox 10%, Muslim 11%, Armenian Orthodox
8%, unknown 6%
Languages:
Armenian 7%, Azerbaijani 6%, Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, other 7%
Literacy:
age 9-49 can read and write (1970)
total population:
100%
male:
100%
female:
100%
Labor force:
2.763 million
by occupation:
industry and construction 31%, agriculture and forestry 25%, other 44%
(1990)
*Georgia, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Georgia
conventional short form:
Georgia
local long form:
Sakartvelo Respublika
local short form:
Sakartvelo
former:
Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph:
GG
Type:
republic
Capital:
T'bilisi (Tbilisi)
Administrative divisions:
2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika);
Abkhazia (Sukhumi), Ajaria (Batumi)
note:
the administrative centers of the autonomous republics are included in
parentheses; there are no oblasts - the rayons around T'bilisi are under
direct republic jurisdiction; also included is the South Ossetia Autonomous
Oblast
Independence:
9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Constitution:
adopted NA 1921; currently amending constitution for Parliamentary and
popular review by late 1995
Legal system:
based on civil law system
National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 April 1991
Political parties and leaders:
All-Georgian Merab Kostava Society, Vazha ADAMIA, chairman; All-Georgian
Traditionalists' Union, Akakiy ASATIANI, chairman; Georgian National Front -
Radical Union, Ruslan GONGADZE, chairman; Georgian Social Democratic Party,
Guram MUCHAIDZE, chairman; Green Party, Zurab ZHVANIA, chairman;
Monarchist-Conservative Party (MCP), Temur ZHORZHOLIANI, chairman; Georgian
Popular Front (GPF), Nodar NATADZE, chairman; National Democratic Party
(NDP), Georgi CHANTURIA, chairman; National Independence Party (NIP), Irakli
TSERETELI and Irakli BATIASHVILI, chairmen; Charter 1991 Party, Tedo
PAATASHVILI, chairman; Democratic Georgia Party, Georgiy SHENGELAYA,
Chairman; Peace Bloc; Unity; October 11
Other political or pressure groups:
supporters of ousted President GAMSAKHURDIA boycotted the October elections
and remain an important source of opposition and instability
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Elections:
Chairman of Parliament:
last held NA October 1992 (next to be held NA); results - Eduard
SHEVARDNADZE 95%
*Georgia, Government
Georgian Parliament (Supreme Soviet):
last held 11 October 1992 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by
party NA; seats - (225 total) number of seats by party NA; note -
representatives of 26 parties elected; Peace Bloc, October 11, Unity,
National Democratic Party, and the Greens Party won the largest
representation
Executive branch:
chairman of Parliament, Council of Ministers, prime minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Chairman of Parliament Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE (since 10 March
1992)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Tengiz SIGUA (since NA January 1992); First Deputy Prime
Minister Roman GOTSIRIDZE (since NA); Deputy Prime Ministers Aleksandr
KAVADZE, Avtandil MARGIANI, Zurab KERVALISHVILI (since NA)
Member of:
BSEC, CSCE, EBRD, IBRD, IMF, NACC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
NA
chancery:
NA
telephone:
NA
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kent N. BROWN
embassy:
#25 Antoneli Street, T'bilisi
mailing address:
APO AE 09862
telephone:
(7) 8832-74-46-23
Flag:
maroon field with small rectangle in upper hoist side corner; rectangle
divided horizontally with black on top, white below